Agora Zine - January 30, 2023

Megan Kane Agora Editor

Hello everyone! My name is Megan Kane and this is my second semester at MCCC and as the editor of the Agora.

The biggest change in the newsroom this semester is that we now have two assistant editors. This is the first time the Agora has had this opportunity.

One major thing I learned as the editor last semester is how the newsroom flourishes with more people.

We were able to fund a second assistant editor thanks to the Dan Shaw Journalism Fund. Dan Shaw died in 2020 and was a beloved journalism professor at MCCC.

After a very successful career in journalism, Shaw joined MCCC in 2008 and retired in 2019. He spent his time sharing his talents with students. Although I never had the honor of being one of his students, I am aware of the long lasting impact he has left on the community.

Dan Shaw created this fund to enrich the experiences for students in journalism and members of the Agora. I am so grateful the fund has allowed our news team to grow.

Agora Editor Positions: Editor, Megan Kane: Responsible for all aspects of the newspaper and website. One of the editor’s key responsibilities is establishing the schedule of work, from story deadlines to production days to print deadlines. Another role is assigning staff responsibilities, from who covers what stories to who designs which pages etc.

News Editor, Will Johnson: Assigns and edits news stories and offers assistance to staff members working on news coverage.

Features Editor, Lexi Greenwood: Assigns and edits feature stories and assists staff members working on feature coverage.

Editors

Megan Kane

William Johnson Lexi Greenwood

Tyler Pennington

Jesse McDaniel

Staf f Adviser

David Topolewski

Chris Morgan

Kenna Preadmore

Matthew Bird-Meyer

Editorial Policy

agora@mon

agora@monroeccc.edu.

The Agora gora is a student-managed newspaper that suppor ts a free student press. Let us know what you would ould like to see in The Agora gora - it’s your newspaper Email submissions to agora@monroeccc.edu

New Titles, New Names

Curtis Creagh is MCCC’s new vice president of Finance and Administration.

“I like the feel of the values you find in a smaller community, I’m glad to be here, I’m glad to be working at this college and I think this is going to be a great fit.” Creagh said of his recent move from Memphis, Tennessee to Monroe.

Creagh was hired and started in his new position in December 2022. Before starting his position at MCCC, Creagh was the CFO for LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee. Creagh described the vice president of Finance and Administration position as that of a CFO.

He said he is tasked with keeping track of and knowing the schools assets and how they are being used.

Creagh said he hopes to continue adding to the progress MCCC has already been making and help in achieving its goals.

Gerald McCarty is the new dean of Student Services at Monroe County Community College.

“I was promoted to this position, which is nice.” he said.

Following the retirement of the registrar for 25 years and the directors of Financial Aid and Admissions leaving, McCarty stepped up using his experience in his prior position to fill the gaps at the college.

“It’s actually great, because it’s student services.” McCarty said. “From your admissions when you’re enrolling, to your financial aid, to your registrar when you’re graduating.”

McCarty’s position will work to make communication clear between all the aforementioned departments to allow for smooth operations.

“My plans really are to just bring everyone together, and start having those conversations of what all of us can do to support our students, to give excellent student service,” he said. “Including not just now in the winter semester, but heading toward fall.”

“I really enjoy working with the students, I enjoy working with faculty and the staff, and just providing a great student experience,” he said. “I think that, to me, is the most important part of my job.”

Curtis Creagh Vice President of Finance and Administration

Gerald McCarty Dean of Student Services

Meet the New Staff:

I first took a class at MCCC in 2009! I loved it so much I came back 13 years later. This is my first semester with the Agora and I hope to help elevate the publication and put my own stamp on it. My hobbies include keeping my sanity with four kids and finding time to do schoolwork.

This is my first semester on the Agora and fourth semester at MCCC, I will be graduating in May. I will be transferring out of state to receive my Bachelor of English. I love to read, write, and run in my spare time!

My name is David Topolewski. I attended MCCC 10 years ago and wrote for the Agora. Recently an opportunity became available to come back to school to follow my dream of becoming a sports reporter, specifically high school football. When I’m not spending time with my dogs Jagger, Bowie, & Reagan I like going to sporting events (Go Lions!) or a good concert, Brett Eldredge or Ray LaMontagne are amazing.

This is my sixth semester at MCCC, first on the Agora, I am graduating at the end of the semester. I plan on attending University of Toledo or Siena Heights to get my B.A. of education and a Masters of theater so that I can pursue a job as a professor of theater.

Chris Morgan

David Topolewski

Kenna Preadmore

Jesse McDaniel

Staff Veterans:

This is my second semester at MCCC and second semester as editor of the Agora. I plan on transferring after earning my associate degree to continue my education in journalism and film studies. In my free time I love to cook and bake with my dad. I really enjoy watching tv shows, specifically “Breaking Bad”, “The Last of Us”, and “Euphoria.” I also love watching (and doing) gymnastics.

This is my third year at Monroe. I started out going for my accounting degree and while I got my associates, I joined the Agora and realized journalism is my passion. I’m now serving as the news editor and looking forward to what the Agora will do this semester.

This is my fourth semester after returning to MCCC and my third semester being part of the Agora. I am now the features editor of the Agora. I came back to school after ten years to finally finish earning a degree with the help of the Michigan Reconnect Scholarship. My favorite hobbies are photography, baking and watching movies.

This is my second semester at MCCC and second semester on the Agora. I plan on pursuing my degree in Graphic Design and enjoy designing for the Agora. My favorite hobbies are cooking, and playing video games.

Megan Kane

Lexi Greenwood

Will Johnson

Tyler Pennington

New Board of Trustees Members

Background information: “I live in Monroe and I am not from Monroe. I grew up in Oklahoma, moved to Monroe when I was about 21, started attending MCCC at that time and worked as an executive director in healthcare at an assisted living building in Canton.” Said Edwards. She has a masters degree which she obtained through Sienna Heights at MCCC.

Hobbies: Edwards said she spends most of her free time volunteering. “I’m a part of Septimus, which is a women’s organization that works to empower women and girls through education.” Said Edwards. She also said she is a part of another group called “100 Women Who Care” which is a charity group.

Goals for first term: “I’m interested in learning more about what the board actually does and how we can improve things on-campus for everyone involved: Faculties, staff, students and administration.”

Background information: “I am a mother, daughter, sister, best friend and nurse.” Goodman said in an email. She was a dual enrollment student at MCCC and graduated in 2002 with an associate of science. She then furthered her education at Wayne State and came back to MCCC to become a nurse. Goodman has been at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital since 2013 and is currently a nursing director of two intermediate care units.

Hobbies: “My job is my passion, I probably work more than I should, however in what little spare time I do have, I enjoy being with my friends and family, stimulating the right side of my brain with the arts and music, and activism.”

Goals for first term:

“I am excited to give back to the college that shaped me to be the woman I am today.”

Julie Edwards

Nicole Goodman

Care Closet and Safe Space

MCCC students have a new place to feel empowered and affect change: the Safe Space.

“This space is a welcoming place to be yourself,” Quri Wygonik, director of Institutional Research, Planning and Accreditation, said in an email.

The idea originated last year with the DEI club led by Sue Wetzel, former vice president of Administration.

However, according to Wygonik it was student discussions that led to the naming of Room 167 in the S Building.

It is these student interactions Dean of Student Services Gerald McCarty hopes will give those students a better understanding of one another. McCarty said in an email he wants students to celebrate their “wonderful differences.”

“I hope that individuals who still have some bias toward one another, will, through interaction with individuals who visit this space, will soften their bias and move more toward understanding and acceptance of every individual,” McCarty said.

McCarty would encourage students to join, “Be in this space to learn about and gain an appreciation for the uniqueness of each individual. With knowledge comes the ability to accept another, not be afraid or be unfriendly toward another and develop friendships,” McCarty said.

The Safe Space is also about creating new ideas.

One of those ideas is the Care Closet, a common way to refer to a place where students can get the things they need. The idea was proposed by MCCC student Madison Stone, the student leader of Safe Space.

Stone introduced the idea at a recent meeting, but refused to take full credit.

“Every member in the group plays a key role,” Stone said. “It wouldn’t be fair to take all the credit.”

Stone also described her idea to have a wall divide in the Safe Space, which would create a separate room to offer a level of privacy and help to combat the stigma that some students may feel when utilizing the room.

However, she asked for patience while things come together in these early stages of development.

When the idea comes to fruition, Stone asks for students and administrators alike to donate items such as clothes, hygiene products and toddler care items.

With the goal of becoming a therapist after finishing school, Stone wants counselors to be involved in the Safe Space to engage in group discussions, similar to group therapy.

Stone said they are still in the early stages of planning, but questions can be directed to jbazzell@monroeccc.edu, mgrey@monroeccc.edu, or mstone5@my.monroeccc.edu.

Madison Stone